The very first thing I noticed was how much my eyes hurt. Even squinting, the faintest light felt like staring into a spotlight.
Then came the distant sound of a baby crying, wait, that was me.
It didn't take long to realize I was the one making that racket.
Well, at least I wasn't born with a deadpan expression that would worry the parents, all thanks to memories from my past life.
This baby body seemed to come with an auto-cry feature, unaffected by my actual emotions.
Soon after, I was wrapped in a blanket and held by what I assumed was my mother. My vision was still blurry, but I could tell she was smiling.
Then I was passed to a man, my father, probably, who also seemed to be smiling warmly.
They were talking to me, I think, but my ears weren't working well yet, and my own crying drowned out whatever they were saying. Drowsiness overtook me, and I drifted off to sleep.
Apparently, my name in this world is Arima Ikki.
My parents kept calling me "Ikki," and during outings in a baby carrier, neighbors addressed them as "Arima-san," so I figured out the surname.
As for the kanji, I saw them on the nameplate at our front door during one of our walks. Mystery solved.
Ikki, probably taken from Kurogane Ikki, the master of Ittou Shura. Arima... is that a reference to Angra Mainyu?
Well, it's not a cringey name or anything, so I'll just roll with it.
So far, it seems I don't have any siblings.
Let's not talk about diapers or the, ahem, "High School DxD" trademarks like those, my mother's, specifically. Let's just say... it's complicated.
Now, onto the reincarnation perks. First off, Self-Destruct is off the table. If a baby suddenly exploded, my parents would die of shock. And I'm not convinced a newborn could survive near-death like an adult might, it'd just send me right back to the afterlife.
Next, time to test out Verg Avesta, the Chronicle of False Reflection. Thankfully, the method to manifest Sacred Gears was described in the source material, and I remember it clearly.
Raise the left hand... lower it slowly... now, visualize the strongest thing I can imagine!
"Ahhh... ngaaah (Rasengan)!!"
Yeah yeah, I know it's not the most powerful move in anime. But for me, during the peak of my chuuni phase, I trained with the Rasengan more than anything else in my imagination, so no arguments!
It's not about raw power, it's about what's cool to me!
KZZZAAAP!!
With a flash of light, a pair of jagged blades appeared in my hands.
Zarich in my right, Tawrich in my left, the twisted dual swords of Angra Mainyu from Fate. They kind of look like maple leaves... maybe.
Obviously, I couldn't lift them in my baby form, but I felt their powers pour into my mind, no, my soul. Once I understood how they worked, I dismissed the weapons.
And yes, I waited until my parents weren't watching before testing them. I'm not that reckless.
Finally, Ittou Shura. This one, I'd need to test wrapped in my blanket, alone in my crib at night. Can't risk anyone noticing I'm wiped out during the day.
So now... the moment has come. Tonight, I finally activated Ittou Shura! It's taken a while, this is probably my fifteenth try, since this baby body knocks out instantly every time I attempt it.
But tonight's different. Parents are asleep. Let's do this, Ittou Shura!!
The moment I activated it, a surge of power exploded through me. I couldn't move (and shouldn't), but I felt like I could leap over the crib bars in one jump.
My senses sharpened dramatically. I could see the clock's hands ticking in the dark, one second felt like ten.
When I closed my eyes and focused, I could hear my heartbeat... even the flow of blood in my veins.
Holy crap, this is insane. There's nothing to fear. Nothing scares me anymore!!
...pfffft
...Huh? Wait, my body... it's heavy... my consciousness is...
====================
By morning, I still felt groggy. Honestly, long live baby life. No school, no work, sign me up forever.
About a month has passed since then, and I've activated Ittou Shura a few more times.
Why? Well... I couldn't forget that omnipotent sensation, cough cough, I mean, because I felt like I might discover something deeper through meditation in that enhanced state.
Yeah, that's it. I'm trying to learn Senjutsu.
Senjutsu is a technique to merge with the world's natural energy and control life force, both yours and others'.
It excels at sensing and stealth. Against living foes, you can disrupt their flow of energy and deal damage akin to injecting deadly poison.
While not strong physically, you can compensate by cloaking yourself in fighting spirit (Touki).
Usually, Senjutsu comes before Touki, but some, like Sairaorg Bael, who devoted himself to pure muscle, skipped straight to Touki.
Still, Senjutsu comes with a fatal flaw: it risks absorbing malicious energy from the world, potentially driving you berserk.
Negative feelings like hatred or sadistic urges can be amplified. So, you have to reject the evil and only take in the good. Easier said than done in battle.
Even though absorbing both kinds would technically double your output... "Just a little bit more... just one more time..." Yeah, it's practically a drug.
Nope. Even if I do master Senjutsu, I won't touch the evil energy, not even once. I didn't smoke in my past life because I knew I wouldn't stop once I started. I'll be fine. (Optimistic.)
So, I activate Ittou Shura, calm my mind, and take deep breaths, visualizing energy flowing into every corner of my body.
My parents seem like regular people, and Senjutsu users are rare even in this world. I doubt I'll find a teacher.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I'll keep at it until I'm sure.
====================
Six months flew by. Between milk, naps, and meditation, I've mastered sitting, crawling, and I'm close to pulling myself up. Also, I've started eating solids.
Senjutsu? No progress. What—that's a problem? It's only been six months! I'm still figuring it out!
But hey, I've got nothing better to do, baby life has its perks.
I'm one year old now, and guess what? I can stand! On two legs!
What about Senjutsu? Heh... I can finally sense the flow of energy!
It's still limited to about a three-meter radius, but I can pinpoint my parents anywhere in the house by their energy alone.
Fantasy powers are awesome. I'll keep focusing on improving this sensing ability.